Assistant Grower

Job Description

Job Description

OBJECTIVE / ACCOUNTABILITY

As the Assistant Grower, you will own the growing process in your assigned area and drive plant health from the ground up. You’ll lead cultural care efforts including irrigation, pruning, weed control, and crop planning while ensuring equipment and facilities operate at peak performance. This hands-on role blends precision, teamwork, and innovation — giving you the opportunity to improve processes, implement new technologies, and directly impact quality and efficiency every day.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Production/Growing:

• Oversee and facilitate the following functions with your supervisor:
  • Irrigation:
    • Have knowledge how to use the area’s pump stations including pumps, sand filters, and fertilizer injectors.
    • Responsible for the proper use of irrigation conrollers or manual valves in your area.
    • Execute the practice the of irrigation and fertilization in the assigned growing area.
    • Scouting is occuring on a daily basis to determine when to water and how much.
    • E.C. tests and Leachate Fractions are used in deciding when to irrigate/fertilize and are reported to your supervisor.
    • When fertilizing, ensure we are mixing properly, using the correct recipe, and applying during the right conditions.
    • If area has drip irrigation, that drip lines and stakes are consitently being upkept to ensure optimal growing conditions.
    • Ensure that filters inside of the shetlers are being cleaned regularly to regulate a consistent pressure. 
  • Potting:
    • Assist with ensuring liners are ready, correct location, and weed free for potters.
    • Potting area has been prepped, sanitized, and gravel added if needed.
    • Ensure crops with similar needs are being potted in the same location.
    • Assist in ensuring correct materials such as soil and containers are being used when potting. 
  • Shade:
    • Inform supervisor when shade cloth needs to be used or removed from crops.
  • Pruning:
    • Assist with ensuring correct prune heights and widths are being followed.
    • Assist with ensuring that prunes are at the correct time of the year in conjunction with the severity of the prune.
    • Ensure pruning tools are being sanitized when neccesary.
  • Spacing/Consolidation:
    • Ensure plants have the proper spacing for optimal growth and quality at time of potting as well as during the growing season.
    • Re-space plants as necessary.
    • Consolidate crops to ensure there is sufficient space to continue to pot new crops.
    • Consolidate crops to ensure they are matched up with similar crops with similar cultural needs.
  • Covering/Uncovering:
    • Assist with winter covering processes, frost protection, movement of plants to minimal heat in the fall, and removal in the spring.
    • Assist with uncovering process including organizing and Marking poly, lumber, supplies for the following season.
    • Winter Checks:
      • Ensure there is sufficient bait in the shelters over winter months and re-apply as needed.
      • Execute venting in shelters if needed for the crops.
      • Regularly check soil moisture inside of the shelters and irrigate palnts if required.
  • Plant Health:
    • Scout for disease, pests, weeds; notify supervisor of any issues.
    • Coordinate with Plant Health to ensure irrigation does not interfere with sprays.
  • Inventory:
    • Communicate with supervisor of significant crop losses or quality issues.
    • Attach and maintain crop identification labels.
    • Participate in Physical Inventory of assigned area.
    • Complete and update loss reports and change of locations.
    • Ensure plants are not mixed and un-mix crops that are.
    • Assist with Best of Midwest suggestions.
    • Monitor crop conditions regularly to ahieve due dates.
    • Know and achieve quality and selability standards.
    • Assist distribution and supervisor to ensure pull locations are accurate for pullers and ensure quality product is being sent out.
• Additional dutes as asssinged.

Area Responsibility:

• Complete goals created on your plan for employee development.
• Clearly communicate work plans with your supervisor daily.
• Complete paperwork in a timely manner:
  • Change of Location/Loss Reports within 24 hours.
• Maintain applicable records:
  • Seasonal timing of prunes.
  • Recording E.C. tests and Leachate Fractions and giving them to your supervisor.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 

• Willingness and ability to work in outdoor conditions
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

EDUCATION AND / OR EXPERIENCES

• Associates degree in Horticulture – or relateable work experience.
• 2-3 years experience growing plants.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Ability to perform repetitive, detail-oriented work with accuracy
• Ability to walk and stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to safely lift/push/pull 50 lbs.
• Ability to work beyond 40 hours per week as needed.
• Available to work weekends and holidays as needed. 

BENEFITS

• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance options
• Employer paid life and short term disability insurance
• 401k
• Paid time off and paid holidays 
• Employee discounts

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Proudly ranked as a 2024 + 2025 Top Work Place in several categories, including Woman-Led companies and Cultural Excellence for Professional Development.  Midwest Groundcovers has been growing and propagating over 20 million of the finest wholesales plants in the Midwest. Although Groundcovers are our specialty, Midwest Groundcovers’ plant offerings include Evergreens and Broadleaves, Deciduous Shrubs, Perennials, Ornamental Grasses, Vines and Native Prairie, Wetland and Woodland species. We are leaders in the Green Industry in partnering with landscape architects, landscape designers, green roof and plant professionals to create inspiring planting combination solutions. Experts in plants for Midwestern durability and sustainability for over five decades.